Top Considerations When Choosing a Content Marketing Consultant

So you’ve decided to work on your content marketing? That’s great news! But, do you know where to start? If you’re not too familiar with the world of content marketing, then perhaps it’s best if you consider working with an online marketing consultant.

Now, however, comes the task of deciding which online marketing consultant will be the right fit for your business. While a simple Google search will yield several results of local online business internet marketing consultants, you need to know what to look for in order to hire the best one!

But first, let’s dive into why you should work with a content marketing agency versus trying to implement your content strategy yourself.

Top Considerations When Choosing a Content Marketing Consultant

Why you should work with an online marketing consultant vs DIY

While you may have an internal marketing team that could work on your content strategy, there are a few reasons why it may be better to consider outsourcing this task to an experienced consultant.

Firstly, working with a digital marketing consultant free ups your own resources to work on other aspects of your business. In the long run, it will be more cost-effective than hiring someone in house – especially if you set up a monthly content marketing retainer.

Even if you’re familiar with basic SEO and content marketing tactics, you might not be an expert. This is why many businesses turn to external consultants. They know what type of content works, how to get your website to rank, what content will resonate with your audience, and how best to pull this all together. This is what makes them pros.

And because they are pros, they won’t waste your budget or time by creating content that simply won’t bring in results. Your success is their success, meaning that working with an experienced consultant improves your chances of a successful content marketing strategy.

Top 5 considerations when choosing an online marketing consultant

Choosing the right online marketing consultant can be an overwhelming decision, simply because of the sheer number of agencies and consultants available. Making the right decision starts with one critical step: understanding your business needs.

Before even looking at any of their websites, you need to be clear on your goals and requirements. This will help you narrow down the number of candidates.

Once you’ve got a list that meets your requirements, consider the below factors:

Look at their experience & niche

You want a marketing consultant that’s been around for some time and has vast experience in the field. It is important to consider past work and how long they have been providing those services.

Do they generally work within a specific niche? If so, does this fit into your niche? If you work within the hospitality industry, for example, it doesn’t help to work with a consultant that mainly works within the industrial niche. They need to be able to speak your business language, i.e. the language of your customers.

Do they have case studies?

Results matter. Do they have various case studies available for you to look through? This doesn’t just include a portfolio of content work done. It includes full case studies on how the project was a success, what could be improved, and how they are going to improve on it the next time. Case studies show that they’re invested in their work and their clients and how know to develop successful strategies.

Trustworthy reputation

Because you’re trusting your brand with this consultant, you need to be able to trust them. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool in this regard. Were you referred to this consultant? If not, can you find any trustworthy testimonials on their website? Have they been reviewed on other platforms?

Great communication

An experienced consultant has great communication skills. This means that they will regularly check in with you, talk through your issues, and always run everything past you. When deciding on which online marketing consultant to work with, ask them about their communication processes. If they take forever to reply or don’t provide you with much detail – run!

Look their own content marketing strategy

High-level consultants have a professional website filled with excellent content. If you go to their website and see that it hasn’t been updated in a while or that their content seems irrelevant – that’s the first red flag!

It’s what their business is based on, so surely they should be doing it right for themselves?

What services should you look for with a content marketing consultant?

Not all content marketing consultants provide the same list of services. Some may specialize in only content, while others may have a broader digital marketing service offering.

The right agency offers what you need. If content marketing is what you’re going for, then make sure that they mention some of the below services on their website:

  • Copywriting services, including content for SEO, website copy, business writing, blog posts, articles, white papers, and ebooks
  • Graphic design services
  • Video services
  • SEO (including keyword research and on-page SEO)
  • Content strategy

Get hiring

If an online marketing consultant can show you that they can do what you are looking for by proving that they’ve done it before, chances are good that they’ll be a good match.

Though, you do also need to trust your gut. When looking through their website and online presence, make sure that what they are selling speaks to you. While they may be able to provide great results, you also need to feel comfortable with the team.

You May Also Like